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Advice Please! Kurt Kinetic Road Machine II vs. Elite Qubo Power Fluid

by mmmbop86
Mon, Feb 23, 2015 15:55
4

Hi all

New to the forum but would appreciate advice from the masses. I'm currently in the market for a new turbo trainer and want to make the step up to a fluid trainer. I've read a lot of online articles/reviews and have come down to either the Kurt Kinetic or Elite Qubo. Any advice to help me jump off the fence and make a decision would be very welcome.

Cheers

Chris

My brain-dump of thoughts in the balance on each is:

Elite:
•Elasto-gel roller which apparently has less slippage
•Design means bodyweight is used to press bike against roller so same resistance each time
•Easier fold/away and lighter unit (but plastic so could be flimsy)
•Recommended by a real person in a shop!
•I have an Elite trainer at present (although admittedly it has finally fallen apart which is why I have to buy a new one)

Kurt Kinetic:
•Robust design with lifetime guarantee (but bulkiness could be an issue of store and is heavier)
•Unique (patented) design which uses coupled magnets instead of a shaft / o-ring meaning no penetration of the fluid container (a supposed problem of fluid trainers is that the o-ring can fail and the system can leak)
•Uses silicone fluid which is ‘thermodynamically neutral’ i.e. as you ride and the system gets hot, the resistance won’t be affected by it
•Supposedly not as quiet as the Elite (but no idea how loud/quiet this is, nor the other)
•No idea what the roller itself is made of (but not Elasto-gel)

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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4 comments

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fukawitribe | 9 years ago
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Just my tuppence worth....

I sent back my Elite Crono Fluid Elastogel mainly because of the way the tyre is pressed against the roller - it basically means that you unweight the rear tyre to some degree unless particularly precise and gentle getting out of the saddle or giving it beans when up there (which according to their documentation at the time may void the warranty). Propping the front wheel up in the air a bit more than necessary helps but that's not really a satisfactory solution. I sadly had to decide against a Bkool for the same reason.

If you just going to stay in the saddle then that might not be an issue and the resistance unit on the Elite was rather good I thought - quiet, smooth and with a grippy roller - it was also quick and easy to setup. There were other issues however.

I replaced it with a second-hand KK Road Machine (old style, same resistance unit) and have been very happy with it over the last 2 and a bit years. Pretty quiet, built like a tank, stable and very, very good 'feel'. Takes a little bit longer to set-up than the Elite but the difference is neglible (takes less than a minute excluding any wheel swap i'm doing).

Now running with an InRide attached to it, which it to give a pretty accurate power reading as well if you want that option and if you're buying the trainer from new you get the lifetime guarantee of course. Personally, i'd recommend them in a heartbeat.

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mmmbop86 replied to fukawitribe | 9 years ago
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Thanks - that's really helpful. Now that you mention it my current Elite Chronogel has the same problem, and I do intervals out of the saddle. More confirmation for the Kurt!

Appreciate the thoughts.

Chris

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antonio | 9 years ago
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I'd go for the robustly engineered Kurt road machine, a friend of mine swears by his. You don't really want to be wearing out expensive turbo trainers. I've had years and years out of my Cateye C1000 turbo but sadly they are no longer made.

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mmmbop86 replied to antonio | 9 years ago
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Thanks Antonio - always nice to hear a personal endorsement!

Chris

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